Fingal say no to Dublin Mayor

Fingal County Council have vetoed plans to directly elect a mayor for the Dublin region on 1 April by dismissing a plebiscite on the issue which was to be held on the 23 of May.

Fingal voted against the plebiscite by 16 votes to six. Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan published The Local Government Bill last October stating that if any of the four councils in the Dublin region voted against the holding of a plebiscite that the mayoral plan would be dropped.

With the other three Dublin Councils voting in favour of the proposal yesterday Fingal County Council had the deciding vote on the issue.

Socialist Party member of Fingal County Council Ruth Coppinger said: “The Socialist Party favours allowing the people of Dublin to have a say on a proposal like a directly elected mayor but we favour a standalone plebiscite, not on May 23 when local [and] European elections will be taking place and when the time for debate will be far too short.”

All of the Fine Gael representatives voted against the plebiscite. Labour Councillors Mary McCamley, Judy Dunne, Michael O’ Donavan and John Walsh as well as Fianna Fáil’s David McGuinness and Independent Cian O’ Callaghan voted in favour, while two councillors abstained.

Independent Cian O’Callaghan said: “It would be hugely beneficial for Fingal and the rest of Dublin because what’s been shown in other cities where you have a directly elected mayor is that it can be very good at attracting inward investment developing job creation and pushing for key infrastructure being developed.”

Since the plans failed at the first attempt it seems unlikely a plan for a directly elected mayor will ever happen.